Pilsner Urquell Bottle Dating

For the US market, the Best By date is 9 months after packaging.

 

As many as I've tried none have knocked my socks off. IMO this is a sensitive subtle style, there's no way it's as good 9 months out as say a month. For imports I'd say difficult to impossible. I can get local Pils better because they're fresh.

 

I agree with you, however in the US finding a locally made that Czech or German pils that is authentic to style and without brewing flaws can be difficult. The style isn't very popular among craft beer circles, as many people can't tell the difference between a good pilsner and the hated AAL, so that's a disincentive for brewers to make them in the first place (although that trend is changing some based on the last couple years). Of the US craft pilsners that are made way too many are dry-hopped to hell, imperial-ized, or have ridiculous additions. Pilsner is the most unforgiving style for beer for flaws, which further cuts down on the few authentic locally made pilsners. So, if you really want an authentic Czech or German pils sometimes the imports might be the best option, even if they are a few months old.

FWIW, I have occasionally found imported pilsners around 2-3 months from bottling and they taste very good to me. Most of my beer purchases are American craft, but I always look through the import section just in case I spot something fresh. It's like a treasure hunt! Also, if you're willing to buy by the case, you may have a better chance of finding a fresh import.

 

Dale (@nc41),

You are fortunate that your father can hook you up with the numerous high quality Pilsners that are brewed in SEPA.

When it comes to the Pilsner style freshness is indeed key.

Cheers!

 

It's on the "wrap" around the 4-pk cans and on the 12 pack (below) - haven't looked lately on the cases (it certainly was there in the green bottle days) or sixpack baskets.

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They are available in PA; I have two cans from a 4-pack in my refrigerator at the moment.

Cheers!

 

I agree about the older euro pales being a bit better to the palate than the very hoppy american versions. I will take bittburger, pils urqeull, konig and many others all the way up unitl 2 months before the exp. date. I almost bought a sixer of victory festbier on sale becuase it was so highly hopped and is at the end of it's life. And I almost bought an oktoberfest that is almost out of date because they were removed formt he shelves too quickly for the season. That's where your imports fit in if you want to think of it this way. The german festbier does not arrive until the amercian festbiers are too old to drink? =) I did not have even one imported oktoberfest from my wegmans. That hurts the entire line from that brewer.

 

I'm a bit of a PU homer, but it is still my favorite pilsner (ie the one I want to drink the most) and I have yet to have an American craft example that really compares. PU to me is a pilsner malt showcase that is perfectly complimented by that unique yeast profile with a dab of diacetyl and perfectly finished with spicy hops on the back end. I've had no American crafts come close (most having a very different malt profile and yeast profile, not just hop profile). Since the recent freshness initiatives, I find PU usually reasonably fresh and it does hold up well even towards the back end of its 9 month shelf life.

 

agree. i have not has one single us-brewed "czech" pilsner that comes anywhere close. not even on the same plane, really. the imitators here are even more egregious than the german ones.

 

PU is a fantastic beer. I'm even particularly sensitive to diacetyl, but I still enjoy it. For anyone that has a World of Beer close by, it's worth the trek if they're pouring the special cask versions of PU. You're not going to find anything else like that in the US.